Underscoring its commitment to provide Education Technology Solutions for every type of classroom environment, Advanced Education today announced that it has been named the exclusive Canadian education partner for Aldebaran’s interactive NAO robot, an artificial character with educational programs and detection capabilities.

“We are honored to be the sole Canadian partner of Aldebaran’s NAO robot, one of the most engaging and interactive humanoid robots on the market today,” Advanced Co-President David Weatherhead said today. “Advanced Education is renowned for bringing the most innovative solutions to today’s classroom, and NAO is the educator’s newest ally.”

“Advanced Education is at the forefront of educational technology, and we know that more students will benefit as a result of our partnership,” Cedric Vaudel, Regional Manager of Aldebaran Robotics, said today. “The introduction of robotics to the classroom revolutionizes learning by providing an educational tool that adapts to all students and materials.”

The NAO robot, standing at 58-cm tall, recognizes and communicates with students, making for an exciting educational experience. As a programmable, autonomous humanoid, NAO constantly evolves so that it is able to run updated applications for students in a range of various subjects. With two cameras, 25 motors, four microphones, various touch sensors and an inertial measurement unit, the NAO robot possesses the ability to detect its surroundings.

In increasingly technology-based classrooms, NAO assists teachers with the development and progress of thousands of schoolchildren, university students, and researchers. NAO also cultivates a love for science from a young age, guiding students down the path towards discovering careers in technology and engineering.

“NAO is a fascinating teaching tool thanks to its interactive applications and intuitive interface,” Weatherhead said. “It captures the attention of children while simultaneously promoting individual and group work. Advanced Education is proud to support such revolutionary technology.”

In addition, NAO is utilized as a classroom solution for special education through a custom program, ASK NAO (Autism Solution for Kids). The program supports special needs teachers with in-class tasks, helping children with autism to reach their full potential. With the specialized program, teachers can select and personalize tasks based on a child's individual learning goals, motivators, internal states, and personality to maximize effectiveness.

For more information on the benefits of NAO in the classroom, visit Advanced Education’s website. To see Aldebaran’s NAO robot in action, watch this video.